Home Outdoor Fun The Best Kid-Friendly LA Bike Paths & Parks by Jenifer ScottMay 2, 2021 Search more like this bike parksbike ridesbike trailscherry blossomcommunity outreachcrowd pleaserlive musicnature loversnon profitscenic routetravelbikeridelake Advertisement Trending Now Entertainment & Movies Netflix Finally Releases Trailer for Netflix Addams Family Spinoff ‘Wednesday’ Recalls 2 Million MamaRoo & RockaRoo Baby Swings Recalled after Infant Death Viral & Trending Scotland Becomes the 1st Country to Make Period Products Free Viral & Trending School’s Cell Phone Policy Goes Viral after Mom Refuses to Comply: ‘Nope’ News California Becomes 1st State to Provide Free Meals to Public School Kids Advertisement So your two-wheelings tots have maxed out on riding around the block? Fortunately, LA is raising its bicycle-friendly status thanks to infrastructure improvements and crowd-pleasing bike-only events (hello CicLAvia!), making riding around town on two wheels easier and safer than ever before. For our favorite bike paths, routes and parks, check out the list below. Roman T. via Yelp Lake Balboa Bike Path Calling all nature lovers! Covering 80 acres, the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area is a great spot to explore the outdoors right in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. In addition to playgrounds and parks, it also features the beautiful Lake Balboa. The path around the lake is fairly flat, offering an easy trek for novice riders, but it’s by no means boring. There’s tons to look at, especially in the spring when the cherry blossom trees are in bloom. After your ride, relax by the lake, where your little explorers will love watching the ducks and swans swimming around.Insider Tip: For little kids, avoid the larger bike path that runs nine miles around the entire basin and take the shorter, off-street loop around Lake Balboa. Begin on the path from the east side of the lake and head past the Japanese Garden. Online: laparks.org/aquatic/balboa View this post on Instagram A post shared by Robert Kort (@robert.kort) Lake Hollywood Reservoir Lights, camera, cruise! Tucked into the Hollywood Hills (besides 3 million dollar homes) is the serene Hollywood Reservoir surrounded by a 3.5 mile walking and biking loop. With gorgeous views and a wide-open, flat paved path, this is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing and easy bike ride. Be sure to take a quick break at the Mulholland Dam as this is the ideal spot to snag a family selfie with the iconic Hollywood sign looming in the background!Insider Tip: The best place to start your ride is from the North Gate off of Lake Hollywood Dr. Weekends tend to be more crowded with pedestrian traffic, so a weekday ride is a great time for beginner bikers to have the path all to themselves! Online: californiathroughmylens.com/hollywood-reservoir-biking View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marisa TenCate (@tencatestravel) The Marvin Braude Bike Trail (a.k.a. “The Strand”) When it comes to bike paths in LA, there’s none more famous or picturesque than the one that runs along the Pacific Ocean. Stretching 21 miles from Torrance to Will Rogers State Beach, this long and winding road offers a well-maintained expanse of flat surface to ride that is perfect for new bikers but just as fun for more experienced ones as well. With the shimmering Pacific by your side, pull over to put little toes in the sand, breathe in that salty ocean air, and let your worries melt away!Insider Tip: Skip the heavily congested areas around Venice and the Santa Monica Pier and start your ride either north of the Pier towards Will Rogers or South in Playa del Rey towards Manhattan Beach. Online: traillink.com/trail/marvin-braude-bike-trail/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CDPyVePMbWr/?hidecaption=true Ballona Creek Trail While the LA River path is popular with lots of riders, it tends to be pretty populated and a bit more challenging for beginner bicyclists. For something similar that’s much more easy-going, head over to the Ballona Creek Trail in Culver City. Running seven miles from the east side of Culver City to Playa del Rey, this mellow-yet-scenic route runs right along the Ballona wetlands and Marina del Rey, which is certain to delight the boat lovers in your family!Insider Tip: Seven miles can be a bit long so shorten the ride by starting at the Sawtelle Avenue or Centinela entrance. Online: ballonacreek.org/bike-path Bella B. via Yelp Lacy Park For a super simple ride, perfect for beginning bikers, check out the 3/4 mile loop at Lacy Park in San Marino. The refurbished wide, paved path that makes a loop around the center of the park is an ideal place to practice brand new bicycle skills. With soft grass along both sides of the path, there’s always a safe place to stop (or great for cushioning those learning falls). After you ride, you’ll definitely want to take some time to explore the rose garden and the playground. If you’re not a San Marino resident, entrance to the park is $5 on weekends. Kids 4 and under are free.Insider Tip: Bikes are not permitted on the outer loop (walking path) of Lacy Park and even bikes on the inner loop are not permitted to zoom around at top speeds. That’s why this park is ideal for training wheel warriors! Online: cityofsanmarino.org Chris I. via Yelp Chandler Bike Path Converted from railroad tracks in 2004, this two-way concrete path runs through Burbank, starting near Victory Blvd., into the artsy section of North Hollywood, ending at Vineland Ave. It’s not a loop, but it’s fairly straight and almost completely flat making the ride easy-breezy for beginners. (It’s about 3 miles each way.) There are lights at major intersections and stop signs along the way, which keeps the cars cruising parallel to the path from going too fast. Kids can check out Burbank’s tiny homes on Chandler Ave., which give way to art murals in NoHo. Insider tip: You may want to start at Cahuenga and head east into Burbank to avoid a cluster of homeless encampments that have cropped up in the other direction. Online: burbankca.gov The Jeff Seymour Family Center Bike Park The Jeff Seymour Family Center Bicycle Park Jim Shanman, Executive Director of Walk ‘n Rollers—a community outreach program that encourages kids to bike to and from school and runs Safe Routes to School guidance, bicycle and pedestrian safety programming and community workshops—alerted us of this bicycle park in El Monte. Run by the El Monte community, this is a great spot for beginners and intermediate riders to practice and test their skills. Picture super fun pump tracks, lumber elevated trails, dirt rollers, a teeter, and more. 10900 Mulhall St.El Monte, CAOnline: activesgv.org/bike-park Traveling Man via flickr Watts Towers Bike Path Combine art and bike riding with this path that puts you up close and center with living history, Watts Towers. There are two paths, both relatively short, around the towers—one to the north in the park and one to the west on Graham Ave. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spoke Bicycle Cafe (@spokebicyclecafe) The LA River While there is a plan for a connected bike (and pedestrian-friendly) path that leads all the way from The Valley to Long Beach, at the moment, there are various paths that will give you the adventure around the LA River that you are looking for. Each path has its own points of interest, along with a number of parks along the way, making this route a fun, all-day affair as you meander your way down (or up) the path.Our favorite section to bike? The area known as Frogtown. Start your day at the Spoke Bicycle Cafe where you can fuel up on their breakfast bun—a griddled soft bun filled with a soft-scrambled egg, bacon or tempeh, cheese, caramelized onions, and their special sauce. Once you’ve had your fill, head onto the bike path and get ready to explore all the various museums, coffee shops, public art, breweries, and even catch some live music if you’re lucky. Online: lariver.org Walk ‘n Rollers Kids in Need of Bikes Learning to ride a bike is a rite of passage for kids but not everyone is so fortunate to have access to the two-wheeler freedom ride. Walk ‘n Rollers, the non-profit that provides bicycle and safety programming for communities, recognized the disparity and during the pandemic started a bike repair hub. “We discovered there are lots of used bikes in our communities and there and lots more kids that need some wheels. We immediately started collecting and repairing used bicycles. Within the next six months we received over 100 requests and have fulfilled 80 of them.” If you want to help provide kids with a bike who don’t have access to them, consider supporting this effort via their GoFundMe page. “The funds we are seeking will cover the cost of a freight container to store the bikes, parts, tools and supplies we need to successfully make this part of our regular programming. Any additional funds will allow us to bring free bike repair workshops to low income communities in and around the Los Angeles area. Online: gofundme.org/bikerepairhub feature image Mark Stosberg via flickr –Jenifer Scott & Andie HuberRELATED STORIES: Biking with Kids: The 16 Best Family Cargo Bikes How to Teach Your Kids to Safely Ride a BikeLA’s Best Beaches for Kids & FamiliesWhere to Shop, Eat & Play in Studio City Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this bike parksbike ridesbike trailscherry blossomcommunity outreachcrowd pleaserlive musicnature loversnon profitscenic routetravelbikeridelake Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? Select YES below and click submit to start receiving FREE pet ideas and inspiration, news about new pet products, exclusive offers and limited-time promotions. Yes, I have a pet! Submit GET READY FOR SUMMER! Enter to Win a $250 Gift Card! Enter your email and zip code below for a chance to win a Mastercard Gift Card. We’ll pick one winner per month through August 31, 2022 – 5 lucky winners in all! email zip_code campaign_name Enter Now! I agree to the official rules and to receive email communications from Tinybeans. By providing my email address, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible. Accepting the use of cookies enables important site functionality including personalization and analytics. Accept Decline Create an account to save this content on Tinybeans Choose how you would like to sign up. Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Continue with Email By signing up, you agree to Tinybeans Terms of Service and acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Privacy Policy. Sign in to your Tinybeans account Don’t have any account? Create an account here. Forgot your password? Reset it here. Sign In or Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google Personalized recommendations Tinybeans uses personal information to share useful recommendations and ideas for your family. This may include your previous activity, family profile and your hometown. Tinybeans keeps your data safe and does not sell personal information to any third party. Learn more about your privacy and location choices. Close
Entertainment & Movies Netflix Finally Releases Trailer for Netflix Addams Family Spinoff ‘Wednesday’